The Woodland Garden

Here is what has been going in the Woodland Garden in 2007:

Although all gardens evolve, our Woodland Garden has to win a prize for most evolutions. This includes its most recent name change from the Shade Garden to the Woodland Garden. Located west of the Herb Garden, it was originally carved out of the West Woods by the first director Dr. Ray Allen.


It served as a natural auditorium for demonstrations and lectures by the staff naturalist. Unfortunately, the area was wet and gathered mosquitoes as well as nature lovers. Today, several incarnations later, much of the shade has been lost. Many of the trees have declined in the wet soils. It will be years before we can replace the shade, but in the meantime we are working to make the garden a place of discovery, just as one might discover a clearing in the forest.

Trees and shrubs are being planted along the garden's edges to help enclose it, except where a stream divides it from the West Woods. There, the garden is being encouraged to join the woods with a naturalistic planting along the banks of the stream and on into the woods. The interior of the garden will be reworked with both existing and new plants, creating pockets of discovery and places of rest and meditation.

 There is still much work to be done for English ivy has crept over a large portion of the garden and the heavy soil needs amending. It remains a pleasant place to visit though, and despite the loss of much shade, there is still plenty to be found on a hot summer day. Many plants have found their way into the garden since the days when boy scouts sat on logs there. Giant hostas threaten to engulf the passerby while pulmonarias and primulas creep amongst a primordial display of ferns and sedges. Toad lilies stand tall as the foam flower spreads its hairy leaves atop the litter of leaves. Birds feast on elderberries, while the hoot of the owl is heard in the woods nearby. Though continuing to evolve, the Woodland Garden still has much to offer the visitor to Kingwood.